1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a catalyst that is obtained by coordinating a metal to a novel hydrazone compound or a hydrazone polymer compound suitable as a starting material for a synthetic polymer or a metal catalyst support and then calcining the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
For example, platinum, cobalt, nickel, iron and alloys such as platinum-ruthenium alloys are known as electrode catalysts for fuel cells. It is important to increase catalytic action of these catalytic metals in order to increase the power generation capacity of fuel cells. For example, a catalyst utilization ratio is increased by finely powdering the catalytic metal. However, fine particles are very easily aggregated, the dispersed state thereof is difficult to maintain over a long period, and the catalyst utilization ratio cannot be sufficiently increased. Accordingly, fine particles of catalytic metals are supported on electrically conductive particles such as carbon particles and metal particles with the object of realizing fine dispersion of the catalytic metals, but the effect produced is insufficient. Further, methods for manufacturing the conventional electrode catalysts and electrodes having electrode catalysts dispersed therein require complex operations and processes, and there is a need for the development of a starting material compound for an electrode catalyst that can be manufactured by simpler operations and processes.
On the other hand, it is known that a catalyst for fuel cells can be manufactured by coordinating a metal to a synthetic polymer manufactured by using a certain hydrazone compound as a starting material to obtain a complex and then calcining the synthesized polymer metal complex (International Patent Application WO2004/036674).